NORFOLK, Va. —
There are new developments for a shuttered Family Dollar store in the St. Paul's area of Norfolk.
Tuesday, crews could be seen working at the property at the intersection of Church Street and Brambleton Avenue.
It's been 15 months since a Labor Day fire forced the store to close.
But Paul Peck, a representative for the group managing the property, told 13News Now they hope to return the space to Family Dollar this month.
That could signal a big step toward reopening what had become the area's last food option.
But that is only one part of the latest efforts to breathe new life into the Church Street Shopping Center, which also lost a Save A Lot supermarket in 2020.
"We want this community to have the same confidence and optimism and frankly, bragging rights, about this community as the communities we choose to live in all around Hampton Roads," said Gilbert Bland, president and chairman of the Urban League of Hampton Roads.
Any day now, the Urban League and the City of Norfolk hopes to hear if an application for a $5 million state grant will be approved to revitalize the area.
If awarded, Bland says the money will help create what they will call, "The Village."
The proposal includes adding a new grocery store, urgent care, and workforce development.
"We also want to add affordable housing, and then the capstone would be an office building really targeting non-profits and small businesses," said Bland.
The City partnered with the Urban League to submit the state grant under the Industrial Revitalization Fund. Under this specific grant, only municipalities and its subdivisions can apply, according to Sean Washington, Norfolk's economic development director.
Norfolk City Council members voted to give city staffers permission to apply for the grant.
Washington said the city's economic development authority considered purchasing the site in 2018, as the property is centrally located to Tidewater Gardens, Calvert Square and Young Terrace.
"This has always been a part of the City's larger vision about five years ago, and for various market factors we weren't able to be the initial buyer of the shopping center," said Washington. "But to be in partnership with a non-profit like the Urban League, it allows us to work side-by-side to see if we can help get the project over the finish line."
"This is an essential part of the transformation of the St. Paul's corridor," said Bland.
Bland said the Urban League is in talks with the property managers. He referenced the history of Church Street, which once stood as bustling corridor for Norfolk and Black residents, and he hopes the community will support efforts to rebuild.
"We want to embrace the notion and spirit of the old African proverb: It takes a village," said Bland. "I would say the entire Hampton Roads community, particularly the business community, donors and philanthropists, it takes a village."
According to Bland, the hope is for the Family Dollar location to reopen in 2024.
13News Now reached out to the company about when the store could reopen, and we are waiting to hear back from them.